High Court halts mining activities beneath Agampur–Anandpur Sahib bridge, seeks tender details
Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered an immediate halt to mining and desilting activities beneath Agampur–Anandpur Sahib bridge and directed Punjab govt to submit details of tender process and contractor involved by June 16
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has imposed an interim ban on all mining and desilting activities being carried out beneath the Agampur–Anandpur Sahib bridge and directed the Punjab Government to furnish complete details of the project, including the tendering process and the contractor engaged for the work.
The court issued the directions while hearing a petition challenging the mining operations underway beneath the bridge. The matter has been listed for further hearing on June 16, and until then, no mining or desilting activity will be permitted at the site.
During an earlier hearing, the High Court had issued notices to the Punjab Government and sought a response. It had also asked the Deputy Commissioner of Rupnagar to submit a report on the issue.
When the case came up for hearing on Monday, no detailed reply was filed before the court. However, the state informed the bench that work related to the Public Works Department (PWD) was being carried out at the location.
The court questioned the basis of the ongoing work and sought details of the authority under which the operations were being conducted. Referring to photographs and videos presented by the petitioner, the bench observed that the activities visible at the site appeared to pose a potential threat to the structural safety of the bridge.
Taking note of these concerns, the High Court ordered an immediate suspension of all mining and desilting operations at the location until the next date of hearing. It further directed the state government to place on record complete information regarding the tender issued for the project, including the date of issuance and details of the contractor awarded the work.
The petition was filed by local resident Prem Dutt Sharma, who alleged that illegal mining beneath the bridge was causing significant environmental degradation and could endanger a key infrastructure link connecting Anandpur Sahib with other parts of Punjab. The petitioner also claimed that despite repeated concerns, the authorities had failed to take effective action against the alleged violations.
The court will take up the matter again on June 16.